Strings
by Capturedribbons
Summary: ‘No one’s home again.’ He stared at the wall, not quite focusing as his eyes misted over. 'No one's ever home...' Finished
1. Alone

Title- Strings Chapter One "Alone" Author- Locura Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O Disclaimer- The Weiß Kreuz chara's aren't mine, I'm just barrowing them. Don't sue, I own nothing but an Omi pen and 3 dvd's and I wanna keep them! Author Notes- Ah! KoB I'm so sorry I've been sooo lazy with SSN! I know you challenged me but this simply popped into my head, I wrote it and I can't save it on this computer so I have to post it. .;; Very sorry for its dementedness. Notes actually on the story- I haven't seen the whole series (but bits and pieces past epi. 15) this however takes place a year or so after the last battle and everyone has started a new life. Its probably been done though...sorry! Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
The clock chimed.  
  
It was a normal sound in the Kitty in the House, one that happened every morning at midnight and every afternoon at noon. The sound was made of chimes that moved mechanically so that everyone who was in hearing distance would know if it was the dead of night or way past time to get up. It was also a sound he shouldn't have been able to hear from where he was. The clock was in the kitchen, the area right behind the space that formally held the flower shop, and he was in bed in the apartments above it.  
  
The two simply shouldn't have noticed each other. But then again he was wide-awake and alone.  
  
The rooms were deathly silent and empty except for a thin line of dust that was only slightly broken in places where things had once stood. The junk that should have been piling up in various areas was gone. The soccer ball that found its way mysteriously around the house for years had disappeared, the ash less ashtray lay forgotten under the sofa...nothing moved in the halls.  
  
He stared at the wall, not quite focusing as his eyes misted over. 'No one's home again.'  
  
'No ones ever home. They have a different ones now.' A tear slid from his eye and rolled down his cheek to splash onto the book he was supposed to be reading. The simple *thunk* it made was defining, and it signaled to the other hundreds of tears to fall as well. 'They all have a place to go, why would anyone come here...'  
  
'Your not worth visiting.' His mind reminded him.  
  
Clear blue eyes stared numbly at the red flashing numbers of the clock as they blinked in and out, casting eerie red shadows around the room. He never reset it after the last power outage, no need to now that no one but him needed to see the time.  
  
Red...Red...Red...Red...  
  
His eyes were bloodshot and throat dry by the time the tears ceased to fall, but he knew it was a half an hour past midnight.  
  
'How many blinks of the clock signaled that?' He wondered idly reaching a shaking arm to unplug the clock. He never need the alarm anyway, he'd still be up when it was time to leave.  
  
He was too skinny, he knew. He couldn't even remember the last time he ate a full meal. It wasn't because he had nothing to eat; he had plenty of money to get whatever he needed, but after a few months of eating alone. Always alone. He just didn't feel hungry anymore. So he grabbed something here and there and promised himself he'd eat later.  
  
He'd pull himself together later.  
  
He'd try and call them again later.  
  
He hadn't meant to lose touch. He'd tried, he'd really had. He'd written letters asking how there lives were and telling about his own classes and such. But they always came back.  
  
He'd thought it was a mistake so he sent them out again; being the only remaining working member of Weiß he'd pulled some strings and found their addresses again. But they just came back.  
  
No matter how much hacking he did.  
  
The letters came back.  
  
He was still awake when dawn broke over the city and spill into his room.  
  
He smiled, a little quivering smile that no longer reached his eyes, as he thought how Manx was just getting up and how happy she would be to have the information for the case so soon.  
  
School was in two and a half hours and the sky was bleeding.  
  
Forcing the smile to stay he felt himself go limp and his eyes heavy. 'So...' he thought mildly amused as his eyes closed without his approval. 'It takes me four days of no sleep for my body to succumb to sleep without my consent.'  
  
He hoped to dream of nothing.  
  
Because if it were nothing, at least he wouldn't remember to be lonely when he found out the dream was a lie.  
  
***  
  
'Amazing it's been almost more then a year!' Ken smiled as he walked up to the old flower shop. Though the flower shop had long closed down he knew Omi was still living inside and that was why he came bringing a vase of flowers as an apology for not staying in contact.  
  
He felt bad for not staying in touch but he also had a few other reasons.  
  
One was that Manx was worried about him being alone so much, which was the main reason he and probably the rest were asked to visit.  
  
For another he hadn't heard anything from him sense everyone split apart.  
  
And last but most importantly he just missed the happy blue-eyed boy who always tried to smile and help out. The one he had grown to love, though he dared not tell the other boy so, and instead left in such a hurry his addresses may have been skewed.  
  
The brown haired boy smiled past his thoughts, realizing it was only Noon and knowing that Omi shouldn't be home for a few more hours. 'Thus!' He thought happily. 'I should be able to fix up a nice dinner before he comes home.'  
  
Nodding went around to the back door and let himself in. Only to blink in surprise at the state he found it in.  
  
Dust was everywhere.  
  
That was one thing he was certain of, that and the not so subtle smell of mold.  
  
The place obviously hadn't been used in a while.  
  
Perplexed Ken scratched his head. Manx said Omi hadn't moved so why did the kitchen look so unused?  
  
Worried, Ken walked briskly threw the rooms. Everything looked unused. The downstairs, the flower shop which had been transformed into another sitting room, even most of the upstairs rooms he looked in. The only one that looked to be in use was the bathroom, though he hadn't look in Omi's room quite yet.  
  
Brow creased Ken slowly turned the handle of Omi's door. It squeaked in protest as it slid open and sent another stream of artificial light into the room.  
  
The room was a mess. The computer was still going, its glow dimmed by the afternoon sun, cloths were strewn on the floor as well as various pictures and wires from who knows what. It looked as if a hurricane had hit and taken everything Omi owned and tossed it like a salad. Which was not right sense Ken had a distinct memory of Omi being a neat freak.  
  
His coffee colored eyes roamed to the bed.  
  
Omi was leaning against the cream colored wall, arms spread out palms up with book half opened in his lap, and tear tracks still marred his face that had relaxed in sleep. His skin had turned a nearly translucent shade of white that made his blood vessels stand out starkly and his ribs poked painfully out from his shirtless chest.  
  
Ken dropped the vase.  
  
tbc? 


	2. Not Real

Title- Strings Chapter Two "Not Real" Author- Locura Archive- Go ahead but tell me where it is. fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O, YxA/AxY Disclaimer- The Weiß Kreuz chara's aren't mine, I'm just barrowing them. Don't sue, I own nothing but an Omi pen and 3 dvd's and I wanna keep them! Author Notes- Well, sense so many people asked here's the second part. mmm...hope you like it... oh and the rating went up just to make sure it covered itself. Enjoy  
  
***  
  
The vase was blue, blue with mottled patches of red and violet blending in and out around the sides and flecks of green on the inside. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world but Ken had felt that Omi would have loved it. Especially sense he had made it himself in an art class he had decided to take on an impulse between coaching soccer and running a soccer training course for older boys and girls.  
  
Art had never been his best class and clay was no exception but the vase had turned out well despite the imperfections. It was filled with Freesia and Gentian for no other reasons then they were Omi and his favorite flowers.  
  
The vase hit the hardwood floor.  
  
It was made out of hard clay, however, and instead of shattering it made a loud *thunk* that seemed to echo down the hall as the water trickled out of the vase and the stems of the flowers sagged and snapped.  
  
On the bed Omi muttered something from his stooped position and his hand twitched slightly in response but he didn't wake.  
  
Ken on the other hand gaped. Millions of thoughts spun wildly in his head. But mainly centering on one.  
  
What had happened?  
  
The boys coffee colored eyes began to water as his feet mechanically carried him over to the bed. He sat down next to him, noting how the bed sagged and groaned in protest before slowly pushing the slightly greasy blond bangs from Omi's pallid face. 'He looks as if the wind could break him...'  
  
His face looked much worse up close, dark bags etched their way under closed eyes and tear tracks, some old and some painfully fresh, crossed his pale cheeks as if wounds from battle.  
  
Ken wanted nothing more then scoop his friend up and protect him from the entire world, promising never to let him be alone again. He wanted nothing more then to shake him awake and demand what had happened to let himself waste away so much. Demand to know what he thought he was doing to himself.  
  
But he did neither, at least for then. He mentally kicked himself for letting this happen and sighed, arms sagging. What was done was done and there wasn't anything he could do about it, yet, but he was going to fix it that was for sure. He was going to start now, before this all sunk in and he went ballistic.  
  
Resting a hand over Omi's forehead the ex-soccer player was relieved to find that he didn't have a fever on top of everything else. Murmuring to the sleeping boy he softly looped an arm under his legs and slid another around the boys shoulders before slowly moving him into a more comfortable position. Covering him up with the blankets that surrounded him and removing the book from his lap, Ken stood and looked down at the blond haired boy, worry clearly still etched in his face. No matter what he wanted to do, Omi needed to sleep.  
  
Taking a deep breath to steel his resolve to help and ask questions later Ken carefully made his way to the door where he paused for a moment, sure he had heard something.  
  
Nothing. Nothing but silence.  
  
Side stepping the water and flowers that were still in the doorway Ken gave one last look at the frail boy that lay in the bed before shutting the door quietly.  
  
"...Don't-leave..." White fingers feebly clutched the blankets as tears slid past closed lids. "...please..."  
  
***  
  
Ken had called Manx. He hadn't explained, couldn't explain really. Words just wouldn't portray it right and they jumbled anyway so he left it as 'Omi can't work now, he needs a -long- break. Give it.' She had been baffled but relented after he pleaded with her for a moment, though she told him that she'd be stopping by later this week to see what was going on.  
  
Besides that he had dusted. He dusted the phone which was so much incased he had to take a wet towel to it to remove most of the grim. He dusted the kitchen and two extra rooms checking on Omi, who continued to sleep on, periodically.  
  
He could tell he was slipping. Everything was just starting sinking in and if he let it he'd do the hotheaded thing he normally did during a mission. Screw everything up while trying to help by busting in too quickly.  
  
His hand shook with the duster after the second room and he felt like crying when he remembered how Omi was when he first walked in. The appearance of the house all hadn't improved much but it was slightly better. Besides he would need those rooms clean.  
  
Ken had already decided he would need help. He couldn't stay with Omi all the time if they didn't have a food source so having at least one other person helping out would be a godsend. Besides, Ken knew he needed to have someone to help a little sane.  
  
That clear, the brown haired boy threw the duster in the general direction of the closet and thought back to his small list of numbers. He didn't know Aya's, but Yohji had called some time ago asking to barrow ten bucks and he still remembered his number. Slouching into one of the newly dusted chairs Ken grabbed the phone and dialed. Hopefully he'd have Aya's number.  
  
***  
  
Riiinnnnggggg!! RRRiiiinnnnggg!!......RIIINNNGG!  
  
Yohji grumbled from his position on the couch. He really didn't want to be disturbed right now. It was his day off from working at the Club he now owned and he currently had the attention of one beautiful red head who loomed above his back, ready to do a massage. It was not just any massage, mind you, but a hard earned one off a wager that included alcohol, cards, and a rubber band all that plus it was being done by a hot sexy redhead who was living with him.  
  
"I'm not starting until you answer the damn phone." The redheads violet eyes flashed with annoyance. And Yohji rolled his eyes in response.  
  
"Fine..." Not moving from his position the blond haired man reached up on the desk and snatched up the phone. "This better be good and quick..."  
  
"Oh good! Your in." Ken's relieved voice answered from the earpiece. "I thought you might have moved or something."  
  
Yohji took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper. "Ken, if this is about the ten bucks..."  
  
"What? No! I need you to get over to Omi's, today...as in now."  
  
He leaned on this hand. "I'm kind of busy here, Kenken. If you want have a get together today is not the time."  
  
"Yohji, I need Aya's number and I need both of you to come and help me over at Omi's. I swear though if you do not get your lazy ass over here I'm going to come over there -after- I get this sorted out and personally put my Bugnuks into your intestines and see what happens when I twist them."  
  
Yohji's eyes widened from behind ever-present sunglasses. "Alright, alright. Don't worry about Aya, I've got him covered. But now just what is your emergency? If its not too important I'd like to finish what I'm doing before I leave."  
  
The voice on the other end sighed as if he were suddenly drained of energy. "Before I answer have you heard from Omi in a while?"  
  
"Hmm.No don't think I have. Not sense we last saw each other I think, why?"  
  
"He's been having some problems. I can't explain it but its major. Yohji..." Ken paused and when he began again his voice was hushed. "I looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks...when I came to visit everything was dusty as if it hadn't been used in a long, long time. He-"  
  
"What's going on?" Aya had finally gotten tired of only hearing part of the conversation and went to another phone.  
  
"Aya! Your at Yohji's?" There was a grunt from the other end that seemed to imply that it should have been obvious sense he was on the phone.  
  
"Yes, Kenken. Aya lives with me now and his sister goes to college. No please explain it to him so I don't have to and in a bit more detail."  
  
"How about this, you both come here to the old flower shop brining groceries and pre-made food for tonight and everything will be answered. Get over here as quickly as you can."  
  
***  
  
Ken clicked off the phone. They were coming. It had taken nearly a half an hour of talking but both were coming. Half smiling thankful that, that at least was over he ambled to his feet and began walking towards the stairs. It had been four and a half hours sense he'd walked into the house and it was time to ask some questions.  
  
***  
  
Omi woke with a jerk as a soundless scream tore from his lips. He threw the covers off and leaned forward on his knees, his legs now underneath him as his stomach spasmed with the strength of his emotions and hunger.  
  
In his dream Ken had come back. He'd come back and held him and promised he wouldn't leave ever again. He said he loved him. But he left...they always left...Omi's eyes burned but no tears fell. He didn't have any more tears.  
  
He shook as he looked out the window and saw that it was way past time for school and that he had actually missed it. It meant he had more time alone.  
  
The stars would be coming out soon. Maybe he could make a wish? He thought calming down some. His wish wouldn't be too hard...all he wanted was the dream.  
  
tunk...tap...thunk...tap...tap...tap...tap....tap....tap...tap  
  
It sounded like someone had come up the stairs and down the hall. In his mind he saw Ken but quickly pushed the thought away and screwed his eyes shut trying and block the imaginary sounds as his body choked back a sob. He kept tricking himself. Always believing that someone....anyone...would finally come back.  
  
The door creaked.  
  
There was a sharp intake of breath.  
  
Omi hugged himself tighter. 'It wasn't real...It wasn't real...'  
  
He thought it wasn't real.  
  
He heard the bed groan.  
  
...wasn't real....  
  
He could feel the fingers rubbing across his back and feathering along his face.  
  
...wasn't real....  
  
He couldn't let himself believe.  
  
...wasn't real....  
  
He was going insane.  
  
...wasn't real....  
  
"Omi...Omi...its ok. Open your eyes, please?" It was Ken's voice, why did it have to be his? He had to be dreaming Ken would never come here.  
  
But almost against his will the youngest assassin slowly opened his eyes and uncurled looking straight up into watering brown eyes.  
  
Leaning over Omi touched his jacket and griped it tightly. Ken didn't say a thing waiting for a response as he ran his fingers threw the blonds hair.  
  
Omi touch his face, bony fingers just barley ghosting over its plans. And Ken waited, worried yet fascinated by the intense look on his friends face.  
  
The boy moved and positioned himself leaning on Ken's chest and looking up at his face before whispering, his voice cracking with disuse. "Your not real..."  
  
***  
  
Notes on reactions- Welll...I tried to keep the as in character as I could given the setting and all. Aya and Yohji, I suppose, will have a bigger part in the next section, hope I didn't derange them too badly, did I? Anyway Ken's reaction. I figured #1 He'd be shocked for quite a while, wouldn't you be? #2 He'd be sad, want to help but a little angry. Trust me it is a normal reaction, kinda like getting mad at someone for dieing. But mainly I figured sense he was an Assassin he'd probably know he'd have to A. get help and B. not wake him up and scream and/or hug him when he's obviously needing sleep. He might not be the rock that Aya is but I figure he knows when to push aside feeling and figure out what to do and such. As for the dusting its to keep his mind off what going on as well as make the house a little cleaner....it needed that. Sorry, I just wanted to justify it a little bit.....;; 


	3. Only In Dreams

Title- Strings Chapter Three "Only In Dreams" Author- Locura Archive- Go ahead but tell me where it is. fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O, YxA/AxY Disclaimer- The Weiß Kreuz chara's aren't mine, I'm just barrowing them. Don't sue, I own nothing but an Omi pen and 3 dvd's and I wanna keep them! Author Notes- Well, this parts a little smaller then the last b/c it was either stop now or probably write until the twenty page mark...and that seemed a little ~long~ for one chapter. eh...I its less angsty in this chapter, honest, but if you like that stuff...you shouldn't worry. Chapter Four and five are coming up soon... anyway enjoy  
  
***  
  
Yohji sighed in annoyance and shifted his two massive grocery bags as he searched for the old keys to the door.  
  
Because of Ken's call he had missed the massage. Because of the call he wasn't cozy at home with his lover and a bed. Sure, he had said it was important but with Omi it couldn't be life or death. Omi just couldn't get depressed, it wasn't in his personality and it certainly couldn't have gotten as bad as Ken's jumbled information implied.  
  
"Here!" He passed the keys to Aya who caught them easily having only one back of groceries and another smaller bag of take-out.  
  
"Come on." Aya kept the door toed open as Yohji grumbled his way in.  
  
"Looks like it's going to be one big happy family again!" Yohji dropped the bags onto the countertop and looked around. "Man, Omi needs a new maid!"  
  
Aya looked around frowning. "I don't like this."  
  
"Hey, no worries. This is Omi, right?" Yohji went towards the steps pausing for only a moment. "So! Lets go make our presents know!"  
  
***  
  
Ken was baffled. He was beyond baffled. He was scared.  
  
"Your not real..."  
  
The sentence still rang in the air. The sentence that made him freeze before hugging the other boy to his chest and wonder just what was going on in his friends mind.  
  
"Of course I'm real, Omi. I'm here aren't I?" He tried to make it sound offhanded but his voice cracked in the middle. And Omi shook his head, wiggling out from his grasp and moved away to lean against the window, the sun just starting to sink behind him.  
  
"You're always here in my dreams..." He licked his chapped lips. "But that's what this is, isn't it? No one ever comes 'cept when I'm asleep. I'm always alone..."  
  
His voice sounded so forlorn and certain that no one would ever come Ken couldn't stop himself from reaching towards him. "But I am here Omi, its me Ken! Its no dream."  
  
Omi smacked Ken's hand away, and it wasn't so much the force as the action that made Ken jump back.  
  
"Oh yes, its you." His face twisted suddenly in the growing gloom, a combination of sadness and bitterness. "Its always you..." He choked, looking like he wanted to cry again but couldn't find the tears. "I've dreamed about you for weeks. You always tell me you'll never leave..."  
  
Ken's heart ached, had their leaving really had such an effect on him? "But I'm not going to Omi. I'm here for real now, and I'm going to help you. All you need to do is let me-"  
  
"Stop it! Next you'll be telling me you love me..." He jumped up, swaying slightly as he backed away voice raising steadily every word. "You always do that. You always promise you'll never leave, that you love me! You don't! You leave! You'll leave! You always leave!"  
  
Ken gaped for the second time that day and moved to the edge of the bed still reaching out to him. Had he read his mind? Did he really dream about him loving him? "O-omi..."  
  
"No-no! I'm not going to wake up alone again. I won't believe you! I-" His whole body shook as he made his way to the door moving as quickly as he could. "I won't find out I'm alone again!"  
  
Ken's eyes widened. Was he going to try and commit suicide? Jumping farm the bed he lunged at the blond boy. "Omi wait! Don't- "  
  
He missed and Omi ran out the door, the water from the pot splashing out and drenching the door as the wilted blossoms bleed.  
  
Ken was about to scramble to his feet when he saw Omi run smack into Yohji and bounce back only to stare up at the other man dazed.  
  
"What the hell?" Yohji cursed when Omi's body collided with his. "What's going on?"  
  
Ken muttered something standing up; his pants now drenched, and walked over to Omi's frozen form. The other boy looked shocked, his eyes were dilated and his lips moved but no sound was forthcoming.  
  
"Omi?" Ken tried, kneeling down by him. "H-hey Omi?" The blond haired boy didn't notice he kept staring at Yohji and Aya who kept staring back at him.  
  
Suddenly the boy jerked towards Ken, his breath coming heavily and voice horse. "N-not a dream?" He grabbed at Kens jacket.  
  
Ken smiled, relieved, and hugged him. "No, Omi. Its real, we're all here..."  
  
They sat like that for a moment. Omi had moved until he was sitting on Ken's lap and Ken held him close. The blond haired boys eyes were closed as he listened to the heartbeat that was undoubtedly real and smiled, the first real smile in a long time, breathing Ken's light sent of freshly cut grass (1) and something that was uniquely his own.  
  
"You know, I hate to break up such a sweet moment..." Aya nudged him sharply between the ribs. "Hey! Cut that out! I really am sorry! But could someone explain what's going on?"  
  
Omi blushed and looked down clutching Ken's jacket. "um...you...ah..."He searched for the words, not quite sure himself.  
  
Ken shot Yohji a dirty look before smiling. "We'll deal with that later, but for now how about some dinner? I'm starving!" Standing up he pulled Omi with him. "We'll talk later, alright?"  
  
Ken held onto Omi as they walked down the stairs, passing Yohji and Aya.  
  
"So..." Yohji drawled looking over at his lover. "What do you think?"  
  
"We're taking an extended vacation." Aya leaned on the wall, dust leaching on to his shirt before turning towards the stairs.  
  
Yohji lit up a cigarette and let it droop from his lips. He had been trying to quit, but for some reason he could tell he was going to need a smoke now and again for some time in the future. 'Omi what have you done to yourself?  
  
***  
  
Omi watch Aya serve out the Chinese food onto plates. He hadn't even had a chance to say 'hello' before being ushered down stairs and now he watched with growing dread as a large plate of chicken was pushed in front of him.  
  
"Eat."  
  
Omi frowned and picked up a fork, he didn't feel like messing with chopsticks at the moment and wondered if he could fit it all in his stomach. He took the first bite.  
  
"I'm sorry I haven't been to visit Omi." Ken said from over his plate. "I really meant to, but one thing led to another..."  
  
"Same with us!" Yohji added, smoking away by the doorway and Aya dipped his head in agreement.  
  
Omi nodded, shoving more chicken into his mouth. "Its ok Ken, Aya, Yohji. No need to worry. But what have you all been up to?"  
  
"Well, I coach soccer and do a small soccer training course." Ken moved his chopsticks as he talked, causing some of the sauce to stick onto his nose. " And sometimes I take a few classes..."  
  
Aya looked up. "Aya went off to college and I moved in with Yohji and work in a bank. (2) Yohji owns a club downtown."  
  
"And now that you know what we've been up to what about you?" Yohji peered down at him, glasses dropping down his nose.  
  
"Oh you know the usual. I look up information for Kritiker and go to school..." He only had a few more pieces of chicken left; if he could just make himself finish it he could go and think.  
  
"Oh I know that...But I think everyone here wants to know what haven't been doing, right?" Yohji raised his eyebrow and flopped into the only remaining chair.  
  
Ken simply looked at him as if he were once again planning to use his Bugnuks on him and made warding motions. Aya looked indifferent and Omi stood up.  
  
"I'm finished with dinner. I'll be back to clean up later, but I need a shower..." He backed out of the kitchen before scampering up the stairs.  
  
"Yohji!" Ken hissed as soon as he was far enough away. "You idiot! He obviously doesn't want to talk about it with everyone. I'm was going to talk to him privately later!"  
  
"Hey! I was just concerned! At least I asked! You haven't done that have you?" He crossed his arms, and Ken looked away. "You haven't. besides, you barley made sense on the phone so lets have it what the hells going on with Omi?"  
  
Aya grabbed Yohji's hand from under the table and squeezed. "Yohji shut up and let him speak."  
  
"Manx asked me to visit since she felt Omi wasn't mixing very well with others and was lonely. She hadn't seen him personally in months because of various missions and such so I decided to come today." His voice was low, almost as if he expected Omi to come back down the stairs any minute. "I found everything coated with dust. The house looked devoid of life as if it had been abandoned. The only exceptions were the bathroom upstairs and his room which was a mess." Ken looked up at Yohji. "I saw him laying up against the wall, head bent with his arms palmed out. He'd passed out. From what I could tell it was from exhaustion. We did this to him."  
  
"What do you mean?" Aya's eyes narrowed.  
  
"When he woke up he thought I wasn't real...he thought I was a dream because he said he was always alone except in dreams." Ken looked down at his tightly balled fists, amazed that his nails hadn't broken the skin yet. "He laid back on my chest and looking right up into my eyes and told me I wasn't real."  
  
There was a pause. No one said a word for a moment until Yohji snubbed his cigarette into the ashtray with more force then he should and summed it up for them. "Shit."  
  
***  
  
Omi sighed and rolled his head back on his solders. He was still tired, despite his sleep earlier. Other then that he was happy. He was ecstatic, really, but he couldn't seem to show it. They had come back. They had finally come back.  
  
The hot water pounded on his thin frame and he lathered some shampoo between his hands, its tangy sent tickling his nose. All of them were back. He didn't care what happen as long as they were here and he wasn't alone.  
  
He wouldn't have to eat alone anymore. He wasn't alone.  
  
Smiling, the happy sleepy smile people do when their happy and warm after a long day, he ran his fingers threw his hair and nearly purred. Nothing had felt this nice in such a long time...  
  
Omi was about to let the water wash the soap out when another thought struck him again. 'What if this really was a dream?' He gasped and slowly sunk to the floor the hot water suddenly turning ice cold as the heater died again. 'It can't. It can't be a dream.'  
  
The world spun in front of his eyes and he felt sick. 'It can't!'  
  
'It only happens in dreams.' His mind reminded him but Omi shook his head as he turned off the water shivering slightly.  
  
'I don't care!' He thought fervently hands shaking as he pushed the shower door open. 'Its real. It has to be real....'  
  
Stepping out the blond haired boy snagged a towel and began drying himself, his stomach doing summersaults all the while.  
  
It had to be real.  
  
***  
  
(1) He works with soccer. Soccer often smells like sweat and grass....yep... (2) I think I heard something about him being a banker at some point? Or maybe that was his dad?  
  
Everyone smile! I don't have a long-winded note this time. ^.^; 


	4. Reasons

Title- Strings Chapter Four "Reasons" Author- Locura Archive- Go ahead but tell me where it is. fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O, YxA/AxY Disclaimer- I found a pencil sharpener! However that does not mean I own anyone from Weiß Kreuz! Author Notes- *eats popcorn* this part was extremely hard to write for some reason(as well as deleting itself). So of course I'm not happy with it. Its small and might be changed later. It however -is- dedicated to two of my closest friends around Zippo and Susan! Wish I coulda visited! Anyway I hope you Enjoy  
  
***=Scene change or beginning or ending of the chapter ~~=Flash Back  
  
***  
  
Ken knocked on the door. He had been waiting for about an hour for Omi to make reappearance downstairs but he never did. So he went to him while Aya and Yohji started cleaning.  
  
The soccer player waited patiently for Omi to respond. He was pretty sure he should be dressed by now; it had been a forty-five minutes sense he had gotten out of the shower. But no sound immerged from the bedroom. Hesitantly, he turned the doorknob; afraid he'd find another scene like that afternoon.  
  
Instead he found Omi asleep on his bed, hair still wet and pajama's on, curled around a small stuffed bear he'd given him at a carnival.  
  
~ "Hey Omi! Watch this!" He tossed the balls at tower of cans and they all came crashing down.  
  
"Wow! That's very good Ken!" Omi cheered, watching the booth man handed Ken a tiny blue bear.  
  
"Here Omi!" Ken tossed the bear over and watched how Omi's face lit up. "I think he'll suite you more then he will me!" ~  
  
Ken jerked himself from his memories as he heard Omi whimper and curl tighter together in a dream. Smiling softly from memories he walked over and ran his fingers threw the boys blond hair, calming him down as quickly as he was disturbed in sleep.  
  
He took one of Omi's hands and rubbed a thumb over its palm, marveling on how thin it had become. His gaze so focused on the thin appendage he didn't notice light blue eyes fluttering open and looking up at him tiredly.  
  
"I love you, Omi." He sighed and looked over into blue eyes, heart jumping when he realized he had just confessed to a wide-awake Omi.  
  
***  
  
Yohji held the duster like a sward and whipped it across the top of the room, messing up all the new cobwebs and dust, while holding a cigarette between his teeth. "You know what? This isn't so bad."  
  
"What?" Aya raised an eyebrow, looking towards the chain smoker with a glint of amusement appearing in his eyes. "You actually like cleaning?"  
  
"Well no." He blew out some smoke and it drifted lazily upwards. "I just figure dusting isn't to bad."  
  
"Good." Aya rubbed off another scar in the wood. "That means we can stop paying that housekeeper of yours and you can dust instead."  
  
"What!?" Yohji dropped the duster. "We are not firing Rosealee! She's been cleaning with us for a year!"  
  
All he got in reply was a light chuckle.  
  
***  
  
Omi froze, he couldn't think. He'd just woken up and found Ken confessing his feelings of love towards him. I just couldn't be real. It was too dreamlike to be real. His hand trembled as he pulled it from Ken's grasp. "You-you love me?"  
  
"Yes, Omi. I do." Ken grasped his hand again, holding it tightly. "I have for a long time, but I wasn't sure if I should tell you."  
  
"But...but..." His mind whirled as he tried to grasp what Ken was telling him. "It-"  
  
"Its ok if you don't feel the same." Ken searched his eyes, trying to figure out what he felt. "I'll understand..."  
  
Omi looked at him, his mind in shatters and face devoid of color. "It only happens in dreams..." He finally whispered after the pause had grown to long. "If-if you love me it will be a dream and you'll leave!"  
  
The blond haired boy launched himself at Ken, knocking him off the bed and onto the floor. "Take it back! I don't want it to be a dream. I don't want to be alone!" He screamed holding tightly to Ken's jacket. "I-i can't..."  
  
Ken felt his body slam into the cloths ridden floor behind him and he looked at Omi dazed as he began yelling.  
  
"I can't be alone again..."  
  
"Omi," Ken ran his hand down the boy's cheek. "You won't be alone again. I'll always be with you. I promise! I swear! But give me a chance to show you this is real. Please?"  
  
Omi sat back on Ken's chest, his head leaning into the caress, considering, his mind starting to calm down from the initial shock and reaction the statement had caused and was slowly reorganizing itself. "I-I-" His voice small and empty as his stomach turned on these events. "It-" His stomach lurched.  
  
His hand flew to his mouth and he staggered into a standing position, one arm around his middle and one hand over his mouth as his stomach tried to force its contents outwards. Tears glossed his eyes as he tried to dash out the door, Ken only a step behind.  
  
"Omi!?"  
  
Omi fell to his knees; his stomach heaving midway threw the hall. He had tried to get to the bathroom, he'd failed and now he braced his arms on the hardwood floor, everything he'd eaten in the past few days violently being rejected and thrown out.  
  
Pain filled tears flowed freely down his face and his arms shook with his bodies' slight weight. He didn't even notice the arm around his middle, keeping him from falling forward into the vomit, or the hand that kept his hair out of the way as he dry heaved. (1) He barley heard the voice near his ear murmuring comforting nonsense until his arms gave away.  
  
"I'm sorry..."He whispered to the person behind him. He didn't know why he was sorry exactly but he felt he should have been.  
  
"Shhhh....Omi..."The persons arm held tighter as he pulled him to his feet before letting go for a moment, and scooping him up. "Lets just get you cleaned up, ok?"  
  
Omi nodded and sighed leaning his head back on Ken's arm. He didn't want to think right then, just rest.  
  
***  
  
"Aya! Yohji! Could you come up here for a moment please? I need some help!"  
  
Yohji snubbed the tenth cigarette of the hour into the ashtray and looked over Aya. "I wonder what it could be this time?"  
  
"Cleaning here won't find that out, would it?" Aya asked, putting the can of Liquid Gold (wood cleaner) down and walking towards the stairs as Yohji rolled his eyes and fallowed.  
  
"I know, I know. I was just asking!" He jogged up the stairs and peeked over the wall. "Hey, Kenken what's all the noise about?"  
  
A mumbled voice came from behind the partially closed bathroom door before Ken's head appeared. "Omi ate to much tonight at dinner and got sick. I'm cleaning him up now, could you and Aya clean up the hallway?"  
  
"Again with the cleaning!" Yohji threw his hands in the air, winking to show he was kidding. "You know if I didn't know any better I'd say this was a scheme to get some free housekeeping."  
  
Aya glared and jammed his elbow into Yohji's side before dragging him off down the hall, grabbing some towels on the way. "We'll take care of it."  
  
Yohji sighed and looked at Aya, snagging a towel before bending down the clean up the floor. "Aya, I know you're worried about Omi. But try not to order the kid to eat next time, ok?"  
  
***  
  
Ken handed Omi a small glass of water and unbuttoned his pajama shirt. He was a worried about him, even more so then before. He seemed kind of dazed as he sat on the sink countertop and sloshed some water around his mouth before spitting it out, of course that could have been because he'd just thrown up but Ken was willing to bet his declaration of love helped it along.  
  
'Damn,' he thought to himself taking a towel from the closet and wrapping it around the blond boys shoulders. 'I just had to tell him, didn't I? I just had to make him even less sure about this being reality then before, didn't I?'  
  
Yohji's voice broke his musings and Ken brushed some hair from Omi's face telling him that he'd be just a moment and stuck his head out the door. After explaining the matter he watched Yohji joked and Aya forced him down the hall, it all seemed very surreal to Ken as he slid his head back threw the door.  
  
He needed to know what was going on in Omi's head. He'd kept all his curiosity buried until now.  
  
Lowering Omi off the countertop he looped an arm around his shoulders to stabilize him as his legs shook and walked him slowly towards Omi's room.  
  
Omi didn't say anything, which was eerie. Ken could remember all the days in the flower shop, how he always seemed to be doing something and smiling. Talking to someone, even if it happened to be only the flowers. He was always smiling. Even of what he had seen of Omi so far today. He may not have been as happy but he still talked.  
  
By the time they got to Omi's room Yohji and Aya had told Omi to get better soon and left back down the stair, the hallway as spotless as it ever had been.  
  
He walked threw the cloths and wire to Omi's bed and sat him on the edge before searching for another nightshirt to put on him. Snagging one from the closet he moved Omi's arms threw the arm holes and buttoned it up, the boy not reacting in the slightest as he put it over the young assassins bare chest.  
  
"Omi?" Ken put a hand to the boys face, turning it towards him. "I want you to talk to me."  
  
Blue eyes blinked at him.  
  
"I know you think this is all a dream but it isn't. It real." They flinched. "And I want to know what happened this year? What happened to make you like this?"  
  
Pink lips parted and air ran threw white teeth only to blow out in a hiss a moment later. "I was alone. I was always alone." His arms wrapped around his sides. "I couldn't talk to anyone about what happened. About my dreams and memories that still come back. Every time I came home...every time I ate...I was always alone!" His voice became soft as he peered up at Ken. "And so I thought 'whats the point? I'll always be alone. What the point, eating alone? It doesn't matter. I don't matter! No one will love me! I'm alone!'"  
  
Ken slowly sat down on the bed and put his arms around the trembling boy.  
  
"And I wrote! I wrote so many letters. All long...and I...I waited...they-" He turned into Ken, eyes searching his as his voice lowered and became almost childlike. "th-they always came back. Why? What did I do? I hacked. I wrote. I tried! What did I do to deserve to be alone?"  
  
Ken held him tighter and buried his nose in Omi's neck. "You didn't do anything. Your fine now. We were just stupid. We didn't realize, Omi. I'm sorry, so sorry."  
  
Omi's throat constricted as he began to sob, his emotions easily breaking threw his tired attempt to keep them back. "The came back! No matter what I did they came back!"  
  
"They always came back...."  
  
***  
  
Aya came behind Yohji and hugged him, laying his head on the other mans shoulder. "It's getting a late..."  
  
"Its just barley moving towards nine, it's not late at all." He opened a can of beer and sipped on it, looking out the window.  
  
"Yes," The redhead agreed and looped an arm around Yohji's waist. "And I think that despite the way you've acted today you care, that all your jokes are just for show."  
  
Yohji snorted. "Is this going anywhere?"  
  
"Do you want your massage or not?" And Yohji smiled over at him, looping his own arm around Aya's waist.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
***  
  
(1) Some of you might know whats going on, some of you might not so I think I'll put a note here. When your body doesn't eat a lot in a long time (and/or drink) then when you do eat (and/or drink) if you eat too much then your body will reject it. Kinda like if you pig out on too much food? When you don't eat much your stomach shrinks. Also another reason -could- be that if you eat a lot (or more then usual) and then have lots of action or activity that happens! *nods* -that- is what basically happened, though I think I probably sped it up some. 


	5. Strings

Title- Strings Chapter Five "Strings"  
  
Author- Locura  
  
Archive- Go ahead but tell me where it is. fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org  
  
Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O, YxA/AxY  
  
Disclaimer- I have 4 dvds *cheers* and an Omi Pen! However, that still doesn't mean I own Weiß Kreuz.  
  
Author Notes- Whoa! It took me a while to write a chapter in this, didn't it? Sorry! Sorry! Try and enjoy anyway though! Enjoy.  
  
***=Scene change or beginning or ending of the chapter  
  
***  
  
Yohji lit the first cigarette of the morning and slowly stirred his coffee. It was a good morning. Beautiful and full of light with just a few clouds in the sky, sure yesterday seemed crappy but today was the day to start anew. That decided he tightened the cord on his robe and checked the ovens pre-temp before putting in the bacon.  
  
Aya was still asleep upstairs, Ken and Omi were curled up together in the blond haired boys room, and Yohji was making pancakes.  
  
It was true, he rarely made anything, preferring takeout to his attempts, but the one thing he did know how to make were pancakes. He whisked the batter quickly, letting it puff out into a thick paste before checking the griddle.  
  
Making sure his hair was tied back he poured the paste onto the hot pad, listening to it hiss in response. He was so sure he could cook these in his sleep that he aloud his mind to wonder back to last night and Aya's talented hands. Smiling, he took a dreg of his cigarette and snubbed it into an ashtray.  
  
Last night made everything bad from the day before worth it, though he would have rather Omi be back to normal.  
  
Turning away from the griddle, Yohji was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn't notice his robe catching on fire.  
  
***  
  
Ken smiled lightly in the early morning light and moved a lock of Omi's hair from his face. The night before Omi had cried himself to sleep in his arms, yelling over and over again that the letters always came back until his voice had faded to a whisper. Ken could remember trying to calm him down a little, perhaps find what addresses he had used, but it was no use. Omi had been hysterical and wouldn't listen to anything.  
  
He wanted to be here when Omi woke up and remind him again that he loved him and would be there no matter what happened. He was sure that his being here this morning would set him back on track to recovering and perhaps his old self.  
  
That was his plan. However, life tended to like to change people's plans. Because not two minutes later the fire alarm went off and Yohji yelled.  
  
***  
  
Ken would say later on that he didn't remember how he had gotten down the stairs or why Omi hadn't woken with all the noise. He did figured that he had run and in a panic, side by side with Aya who looked more awake then he felt.  
  
But the soccer player did remember what happened after he and Aya had arrived.  
  
Yohji was rolling on the ground yelling and gray smoke had filled the kitchen. Neither of the two none flaming people could even tell if there was a fire still smoldering but both didn't take the chance. They jumped beside him and patted him down on all sides until both he and Aya were satisfied that Yohji was, in fact, not going to become roasted anytime soon.  
  
"Yohji?" Ken asked, leaning over from his position on the floor and looking over at the couple out of the corner of his eye. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"  
  
"If you have to know," Yohji leaned back into Aya, who had positioned himself behind his lover moments after the incident. "I was making breakfast!"  
  
***  
  
Omi smiled slightly and stretched in the warm sun coming in from his window. For some reason today he felt relaxed, a little tired but fully relaxed and rejuvenated. Slowly cracking his eyes open he expected to find Ken watching him from another part of the room or find him sleeping beside him, instead, all his vision gave him was emptiness, cloths, and sunshine.  
  
His heart dropped.  
  
***  
  
Ken scuffed and ran a hand threw his hair. "I think I've heard everything now, Yohji actually got up before noon to make breakfast!" He stood. "Next time you decide to try and make yourself spontaneously combust please do it quieter, I was waiting to see if Omi was going to wake up."  
  
"Oh! Heaven forbid I ever take away your 'Omi watching' time!" Yohji put his hands over his heart. "Next time I shall just have to burn up so as not to upset Kenken and his Omi gazing! Oh woe is me!"  
  
Aya frowned and nudged Yohji sharply in the ribs, shaking his head as he did.  
  
"Exactly." Ken stopped at the doorway for a moment before heading up the stairs. "But you can make it up to me by finding out why Omi's letters didn't make it to out mailboxes."  
  
***  
  
Ken frowned when he walked in Omi's room. It wasn't exactly the state that got him still but the fact it felt so empty now, which didn't make any since, since Omi was probably still asleep. Looking around a moment Ken's eyes narrowed at the bed. The covers looked as if they had been thrown off and no one was insight.  
  
His chocolate eyes widened as he realized, Omi had woken up alone.  
  
His friend, maybe future lover, was not mentally stable and had woken up alone.  
  
The one word that summarized his thoughts was as Yohji had put before was, Shit.  
  
***  
  
Omi looked around, it had been a sunny day a moment ago. It had been nice out, as he had never noticed before. Now it looked gray.  
  
He smiled though, his eyes far away as he walked down the sidewalk in his pajamas, the ones he had thought Ken had put on him the night before. He wasn't going to worry about being alone any longer. He knew what to do for now.  
  
***  
  
Ken raced down the stairs even faster then he had moments before when Yohji had been on fire, and snatched the blond man up, shaking him back and forth angrily.  
  
"Where is he?!"  
  
Aya stood up and pried Ken's hands from Yohji's shoulders as the other man got his balance. "Kenken what are you talking about?"  
  
Ken seethed, his eyes glowering. "Because I was called down here Omi woke up alone. It wouldn't be so much of a problem except I think he's a tad mentally unstable at the moment and I can't find him!" Ken's fist was balled and he looked as if he were about to jump at either of them again. "He had to have come around here so which way did he go!"  
  
"Whoa.whoa Ken. He could have gotten out another way neither Aya or I saw him pass and we would have."  
  
Aya nodded and reached for his jacket that was in a chair. "Lets not jump to conclusions and start searching. He couldn't have gotten far."  
  
***  
  
Manx turned down the street; her heals clicking against the pavement as she made her way to the 'Kitty in the House'. She didn't know exactly what was going on but she was going to find out.  
  
She was two blocks from her destination when her eyes caught sight of something. A boy with longish blond hair walking down the street wearing old faded pajama's with sheep and cats on them. Her lips twitched slightly, feeling she should know the boy but wasn't quite sure where from.  
  
Stopping a moment, Manx decided she might as well find out where this feeling of familiarity came from, and began fallowing the boy.  
  
She had gained on the boy steadily and frown at the wavy way he walked, it appeared from behind him that he either wasn't sure where he was going exactly or was intoxicated. Manx bit her lip, and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
The face that turned to peer at her drained the color from her own and left the reasons for Ken's upset call ring clear.  
  
The boy was Omi.  
  
***  
  
They had split up and searched the house but the search turned up nothing but the peace of mind that Omi wasn't trying to slit his wrists in the bathrooms. After that they left to search the outdoors and still hadn't found anything.  
  
Yohji was positive that the way things were going these past two days that his hair was going to go white before he was thirty.  
  
Aya helped, but trying to find a kid who was mentally unstable while keeping another boy from losing it as well was going to be hell. And it was just beginning it seemed.  
  
***  
  
Omi looked up at her with wide blue eyes that didn't quite focus. His lips began to bleed as he breathed out a small puff of air and asked, "You as real as Ken, right?"  
  
Manx, unsure of how to answer that bent down to place an arm on his shoulder, but the boy jumped away. "Omi, its ok. It's me Manx. Remember? I think we need to get you back home, don't you think?" She talked softly as if to a child but Omi only looked at her wearily.  
  
"Your just like he is, aren't you?"  
  
She didn't know what to say to that, but stayed still, unsure as to how to handle this.  
  
They probably would have stayed staring at each other, both unsure as how to react but bare seconds later there was a rustle and Ken appeared, running down the path and looking frantic.  
  
"Omi! Omi!?" His cheeks were rosy from the jog and Manx felt relieved that he had come but Omi's eyes only widened and half focused on him his bony fingers clutching the sleeves of his pajamas.  
  
"Hey, Omi!" Ken approached slowly his hand reaching out towards him. "What were you doing, running off like that? I was so worried when I didn't see you."  
  
"You weren't there." His voice was a whisper that barely spoke above the wind. " ..you said you wouldn't leave.but you did...you aren't real."  
  
Ken's eyes burned but he pushed his feelings aside as he approached the other boy and wrapped his arms around him, careful to not startle the other boy. "I'm sorry. It won't be enough but I'm sorry. I am real though."  
  
Omi slowly looked up and the brown-haired boy, his eyes still unfocused and a little glazed looking. "I'm held up by strings, you know. And one day.one day the strings going to break.because.who is real?"  
  
Ken held him tight and pressed his nose into the blond boys head. "I'll keep you from breaking if you let me. Just trust me. I will always be real."  
  
***  
  
Manx watched from a few feet away her face blank but eyes warm and worried. She turned around towards Aya and Yohji and took out a file. Walking towards the two she handed it to them.  
  
"You will be paid in full for however long you chose to stay." She spared a look at the pair behind them. "I will get in touch with a psychiatrist at Kritiker. Make sure Omi attends when told."  
  
She turned then, ignoring any sounds coming form either group and left.  
  
*** 


	6. Always a Dream

Title- Strings Chapter Six "Always a Dream" Author- Locura Archive- Go ahead but tell me where it is. fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org Warnings- OOC, O+K/K+O, YxA/AxY Disclaimer- I found a pencil sharpener! However that does not mean I own anyone from Weiß Kreuz! Author Notes- Notes at the bottom of the story. Enjoy?  
  
***=Scene change or beginning or ending of the chapter  
  
***  
  
Omi clutched Ken's hand and looked wearily around the lobby. His blue eyes wide and frightened, though they now focused on everything around him as they rarely had weeks before. Ken put an arm around the younger boys waist and pulled him to his side trying to comfort him to the best of his ability in this setting and Omi burred his head in Ken's side refusing to look up as Ken half walked, half dragged him to another room.  
  
He hated coming here.  
  
The lady always smiled and Ken always held him close. The lady asked questions and Ken told him he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to. The lady looked at him as if a specimen and Ken cuddled him long after these meetings, not that he minded that part. The lady had wrinkled hands and soft gray eyes hidden beneath horn rims with a stern mouth. She also always wrote everything down.  
  
He didn't want to come here; he only wanted to stay with Ken, even if Ken wasn't real.  
  
***  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
She was tapping her pen on the folder and looked at him frowning. "We haven't been making much progress, you and I." Her voice was soft but her eyes looked hard. "If we don't soon I'm afraid we'll have to find a place to keep you here for observation. "  
  
He didn't answer, instead he looked away and out the window where the sky was blue and fluffy clouds rolled lazily by.  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
Ken nudged him softly but he refused to move his gaze.  
  
"I'm afraid I have no choice then." She sighed and tiredly rubbed her forehead. "One last thing though. Ken, I would like you to step out."  
  
It wasn't surprising, though, that as soon as those words left her lightly polished lips that Omi turned and jumped onto Ken, his force pinning the older boy to the sofa.  
  
"No!"  
  
She adjusted her glasses and sighed. "I'm afraid so Omi. It will only be for a moment but I believe it is in your best interest that he leave for this time. He will be right outside the door, however, if he wishes."  
  
Omi frowned, his blue eyes troubled but in the end he nodded and let Ken up. He didn't like the idea but if he were just outside maybe he wouldn't disappear.  
  
The brown-haired boy frowned and looked as if he had half a mind to refuse to leave but with one look at the stern looking woman in front of him he desided to do as she asked. But only after taking a moment to promised to be right outside if Omi needed him and positioning himself outside in a ready position to run in if anything happened.  
  
"Well," the lady said as soon as Ken was gone and took a folder out from her left shelf. "It's taken me a while to get all the information on you. You weren't much of a help, you know?"  
  
The blond-haired boy didn't answer.  
  
"Yes." She opened it up and took out a few papers. "I wasn't sure what to do with you. You are indeed in need of help yet I could do nothing short of putting you on meds since you refused to talk."  
  
The woman adjusted her glasses and slowly stood up. "I know that I cannot help you. Whatever I do is unlikely to help in the long run and locking you up for more study might make whatever has happened worse."  
  
He peered at her then, giving her a curious but guarded look before glancing away again.  
  
"So, I am going to ask simply that you continue to come to these meetings and we will try a new type of counseling that will include your entire makeshift family. Won't that be fun?" She smiled then, a wide fake smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and faded when she saw that the other occupant didn't smile back. "Yes, I thought that would be what you thought." Her lips tightened slightly then and her eyes looked worried as her hands fiddled with the papers in her grasp. "I'm going to release some information to you, stuff I am not supposed to but I believe you should know. Don't tell anyone else except those you trust fully because the repercussions would be worse then you can imagine."  
  
Omi watched her as she approached and handed him a few sheets of paper. Papers that appeared to be typed reports of something that seemed important, but he didn't read them right then. He folded them before stuffing them in his pockets and walked quickly out the door, not looking back as he found Ken waiting as he had promised.  
  
The lady sank down into her sofa and put a hand to her head. She wouldn't be surprised if she never saw them again.  
  
***  
  
Yohji passed the letter from Kritiker to Aya, a motion that had become habit from the beginning of the chain of letters that had been streaming in with checks and money and more doctors they could have at their disposal. Aya looked at it a moment before ripping it and tossing it in the trashcan which was now overflowing.  
  
There was no need to take pay in what they did to help a friend and too many doctors would ruin what little bit left they had of him.  
  
***  
  
Omi looked up at Ken and touched his face smiling as he felt that he was indeed solid to the touch still. It was a warmer day, the bite of winter having softened for once, and the plants that started to bug only likely to die in the first frost. He still hadn't read the reports and they lay waiting in his pocket as they walked down the sidewalk past the park and back towards the former Kitty in the House.  
  
Neither boy said anything but Ken's presence was enough for him now. Even if he did believe that this was a dream world, as long as he didn't wake up he would be fine.  
  
Tugging on Kens arm a moment Omi pulled him to a park bench and sat down. "She gave me something."  
  
"Oh? What is it?" Ken sat down next to him, pulling him close as he reached for the papers.  
  
"She didn't say." Omi opened the reports and scanned them, feeling Ken's do so as well from over his shoulder. "They look like reports from Kritiker. "  
  
As their eyes scanned the words Omi felt Ken tighten his hold on him and saw as he own hand shook with the papers until they fell. His throat constricted and he turned and buried his head into Ken's shoulder.  
  
The reason that his letters had never been delivered and always returned was because Kritiker thought it best if he cut all ties with his former partners. They had intercepted his letters and sent them back every time without fail and the only letters that had come in through Omi's mailbox were ones they had approved of or junk mail. The Reports didn't say why they had done this, outside that they felt it was best for all included, and it didn't matter.  
  
Omi's seclusion and madness that had grown that year had been because of the organization he worked for. The organization his Uncle had been apart of. The organization he thought would help him if he ever needed it.  
  
Ken's fist clinched and Omi sobbed, unsure if the few others he knew well in the company had known about what they had done.  
  
***  
  
It was evening by the time Ken carried Omi home to a worried house of Yohji and Aya. They both had nearly been pounced on as soon as they walked in the door, and most definitely would have been if not for Omi's tear streaked face peeking out from beside Ken's shoulder.  
  
They offered no explanations and no explanations were asked for, though all knew that both of the older men wanted to know what had happened.  
  
Yohji and Aya backed off, only sending dinner up to Omi and Ken's room after a while and retiring to their own soon after that.  
  
As for the younger pair they cuddled in the darkened, but now clean, room and decided to cut ties with the organization that had nearly destroyed one of them yet also strangely brought them all together again.  
  
Yohji and Aya were told what had happened in the morning and by noon they had disappeared. This time the soccer ball and an ash filled ashtray stayed.  
  
***  
  
Three years later found them looking out over the ocean from a dock, spooning together with hands clasped in front of them showing off matching silver bands that winked in the sunlight.  
  
The younger boy looked up at the older and smiled, his eyes lighting up and hand twitching slightly. "You will keep my strings from breaking? Even if I always believe you're a dream?"  
  
The other boy laughed a hand leaving the meld to run threw the other boys hair. "I will never be a dream, but even if you never believe me I will never stray. Your strings are safe with me as I've always told you."  
  
Elsewhere two older men watched, one smiling behind sunglasses and the other smirking in his grasp. "Three years and they haven't left the sugarsweet stage, I wonder if they ever will."  
  
"And will it matter, Yohji? They've both come a long way and I think that even if Omi never fully recovers they will be fine, we will all be fine." The redhead turned pulling his lover behind him. "Its time to let them have some time to themselves."  
  
The stars came out hours later and found the younger pair sitting on the dock both asleep and comfortable in the warm ocean breeze. Things would never be quite normal with Omi's frequent nightmares and reality blanks but they would still get their happy ending.  
  
***  
  
Authors Long annoying Notes!:  
  
Well this is the second chap. story I've finished and let me tell you I was not planning to end it like this! I did, however, lose my original notes so..this is as good as it gets because while I had the chance to continue with this fic and could have for quite a few more parts I thought it needed an ending. I'm very sorry, though, if you did want me to go on torturing Omi and Ken.  
  
Truth of it all- I wrote this fic for fun and did have fun writing it during the summer. I however, would like to move on the one of my new story ideas, which will probably be a good deal happier (depends on which one I do). Also, there is no possible way that this fic will have a sequel, I'm very sorry.  
  
Also on a last note for people on FF.Net, I will no longer be posting new stories here. Its quicker for me to only do one uploading site and I've decided on mediaminer.org . Sorry if that's an inconvenience but..well.that's that! Please look there if you're interested in any new stories, which should be started from any time past Thursday.  
  
Thank you so much for enjoying and reviewing this fic it means a lot to me to know that you enjoyed it and sorry for the crappy ending!  
  
-Locura 


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